Gone, but Never Lost
by NeverDreamsOfMe
Summary: After the fateful night at the castle, Kim can't stand Suburbia anymore. She runs away to Gotham to start a new life. A chance meeting teaches her the importance of perserverance and optimism. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Edward Scissorhands or Batman Forever.

I got the idea for this crossover when I was watching Batman Forever (my favorite Batman movie!) a while ago. All of a sudden I thought that the girl in the almost-gang-rape scene looked like Kim. My sister said I'm crazy but I definitely saw a resemblance xD Enjoy!

...

Chapter 1

Kim looked down at the street below through the dirty glass. Dirty cars drove past a homeless man with a matted beard on the sidewalk. A group of teenage boys swaggered towards him, their baggy pants somehow managing not to fall off their skinny hips, looking for trouble.

Dirty. Trouble. That's Gotham in a nutshell.

Sometimes Kim felt so out-of-place here. Though she rarely had enough to cover the water bill, she felt like the cleanest person walking down the street; therefore, the biggest target. Even alone in her cramped, one-bedroom apartment she felt like she was being watched. Just like it was back in Suburbia. Still, Kim had to admit that it was much better to be here than in Suburbia. The eyes of strangers are much more bearable than the eyes of loved ones...

She flinched away from that memory, fixing her eyes instead on a fly that had somehow gotten in. It kept beating itself against the glass in an irregular rhythm, in a buzzing frenzy, trapped.

Kim had felt just like that fly sometimes. Beating the windows to get out, her cries ignored...

Trapped.

Her heart felt that way now, locked up in that castle with him...

Trapped.

_God damn it!_

She grabbed her key and ran out the door.

...

She stormed down the stairs of her building out onto the sidewalk, ignoring the whistles and lewd variations of "Hey baby," from the deluded teenagers behind her. She did this frequently to ward off the demons in her head. The need to be on her toes in order to prevent being jumped and raped usually overrode her instinct to brood over what happened with him.

With Edward.

_Shit!_

It wasn't working. Snapshots of that night kept flickering before her eyes. She in a white dress, pleading to be held. He in his usual black, reaching for her with longing but pulling back in fear and frustration. Jim tackling Edward in the street, Jim appearing in the castle with a gun, Jim suddenly dead below the window. The moment she told everyone Edward was dead - it would've hurt less if she had taken that 3-story fall.

_Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!_ Kim shrieked to her memories. But they didn't stop. If anything they came faster.

The weeks after that were a blur. Only two things remained the same day after day: waking up feeling like her heart was torn in half, and the stares. Kim thought she could have endured her ripped heart if only everyone would stop _staring_ at her. It was unbearable to see her mom always looking at her with pity and concern and her dad with incomprehension and concern. Kevin - well, Kevin stared at her all the time before anyway, but never with fear. Her classmates, even her _friends_ gaped at her like she was an alien. None of the teachers or even the guidance counselor knew what to say.

Suburbia was a fishbowl even at the best of times, but Kim felt like the only fish. She heard the whispers, the rumors - no one talked about anything else for months. Sometimes she wished something would happen to someone else, just so people would have something else to talk about. But as depressed as Kim got, she would never really wish that on anyone. It hurt too much to hear your loved ones talking about you like you're about to go off at any second.

What hurt the most though, was her own head. Kim was never really by herself when she was alone. Her repressed thoughts were constantly threatening to break through that wall she'd thrown up. She hated to look in the mirror; every time she did, she saw someone pale and dead, devoid of life. Pretty soon she started reminding herself of someone else entirely, also pale, but with life struggling to surface. She then stopped looking into mirrors altogether.

Kim managed to survive the rest of senior year, picking her grades up while she was at it. She found that schoolwork was a pleasant distraction from everything else. That summer wasn't too bad, either: she was hired at the corner drugstore. The hot days were spent making money in the air conditionined store, stocking shelves and avoiding ringing up anyone her age. That fall, she started the new school year at a community college, all that her minimum wage and her parents' salaries combined could manage. Kim found an anonymity there that high school had never afforded her, and she welcomed it gratefully. Hopefully when she transferred, her demons would be under control and she could start over.

Kim remembered well the night she'd snapped, on a mild September night about a month ago, just three months shy of the one-year anniversary of the night at the castle. There was no way to stop the memories now. Kim recognized that there was nothing to do but just let them be...

_Kim carried the dirty dishes over to the sink, helping to clear the table after dinner. She had been wondering whether or not to start the paper her history teacher assigned that day. Kim had finished senior year with straight A's when she was normally a B student. Her exceptional grades continued in college. Moms' voice interrupted Kims' musings._

_"Kim, honey, I think we need to talk."_

_The dishes clinked against each other as Kim set them down. She leaned her left hip into the counter, facing her mom, "About what?"_

_"About your grades, honey," Mom said, wiping her hands on a towel._

_"What about them?" Kim frowned in puzzlement, "I know I told you that calculus test was hard. I'm sure I failed it, but I also told you we haven't gotten them back yet, so I don't know..."_

_"No, honey, I'm sure you passed your test," Mom assured her, "But I saw your progress report with the mail. You'll be happy to know you're getting all A's." Kim scowled again - she hated when her parents got to her grades before she did - but didn't say anything. "It's... unnerving, Kim, to see you doing so well in school... in college at that..."_

_"Well, I have to get good grades to transfer," Kim pointed out, shrugging,"Maybe I can even get a scholarship."_

_"Of course that's all very well, sweetie," it was Mom's turn to frown slightly, "But Kim, you don't seem to do anything else anymore. You come straight home from school and go to your room to do your homework. Your school had tryouts for their cheerleading squad but you just shrugged when I told you about it. The only things you say about your day are about your professors, not about any friends you're making. All you do on the weekends is work and study. Even this summer, you worked all the time and didn't go out with your friends -"_

_"They don't call," Kim involuntarily blurted out, "They never call, they don't even try to talk to me, all they do is stare and whisper." Her voice cracked, and she stared at the kitchen floor._

_There was a short silence. Mom reached out after a minute and rubbed Kims' arm soothingly. "Kim, are you sure you're okay? It's been almost a year, but you're still hurting. I know it can be hard losing someone you love." Here, Kim started to cry. Mom gathered her daughter in her arms and continued, "Oh, sweetie, don't cry. It was an accident, a horrible accident. I'm sure Edward didn't mean to kill Jim; it was just a misunderstanding. And it certainly wasn't your fault."_

_Kim started to cry harder. She still hadn't told anyone what had really happened: it was still too close and raw for words. In the deepest part of her mind, Kim _knew_ that it was her part. It was time to tell._

_"It _was_ my fault," Kims' voice was muffled by Moms' sweater, "It was, Mom, if I hadn't -"_

_"Sshh, Kim," Mom cut her off gently but firmly, "It wasn't your fault. I thought it would be best to just leave you be for a time, but you're not recuperating. You know you can tell me anything, but I understand if you don't, if you feel like you can't. Would it make you feel better if you saw somebody?"_

_The question was asked softly, but Kim flinched as if words could bruise. "What?" She wrenched away from her mother._

_"I won't press you if you don't want to," Mom held her hands out in a gesture of peace, "I'm at my wits end with you, Kim, and I just thought I'd ask."_

_"Ask to get rid of me?" Kim yelped._

_"No, honey, not at all -"_

_"You say I can tell you anything, but then you turn around and ask it I want to be shipped off to a _mental institution_?" Kim shrieked._

_Mom looked as small and helpless as Kim felt, "I didn't mean it like that, Kim. I won't bring it up again, I promise, just calm do-"_

_"Don't tell me to calm down!" Kim was beside herself with fright and betrayal, "My own mother doesn't want to listen to me! You want to send me away to become someone elses' problem!" She fled, leaving her shocked mother staring after her._

_The door to Kims' room slammed with enough force to shake the house. She threw herself face-down on the bed and cried longer and harder than she could remember. All her pent-up emotions came out at once as chest-splitting sobs. She cried for the discomfort and humiliation of being stared at and talked about, the abandonment by her friends, the loneliness of being misunderstood and singled out, the terror of never again being normal, the longing for Edward, her love. Exhausted, Kim sank into a dreamless sleep with tears still lingering on her cheeks._

_After a few hours, Kim sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She felt drained and hollow, totally empty. For a while she sat on the bed, one leg under her and the other hanging off the side, listening to the house. All was quiet. Breathing deeply to settle herself, a thought came to her._

I can't stay here.

_The thought neither shocked nor frightened her. She was so sick of having eyes on her everywhere she went. She hated the overwhelming wanting to go back to the one place - the one person - she couldn't because everyone else thought him dead. She couldn't stand anything anymore._

_She slid off the bed and reached underneath it for her suitcase. She pulled it out and blew off the dust with a shudder. It was the same one she'd used on the last camping trip she took with her friends. The night she came home was the night she met Edward. Quietly, she packed, going over a mental list while a plan formed. She emptied her stash of emergency money hidden inside her sock drawer, knowing her parents would track her if she used her ATM card._

_Not wanting to take the chance of walking through the silent house, Kim left through her bedroom window. She shoved her suitcase out first, then followed it after checking her room one last time to make sure she didn't forget anything. Once she was free of the frame, she closed it as much as she could. She then picked up her suitcase and started off into the night. __Walking through Suburbia at night was a relief. No one else was awake to gawk out their windows at her. The driveways were empty of people whispering about her as she walked past. Kim felt almost at peace as she made her way into town, towards the bus station._

_She bought a one-way ticket at two in the morning. Then, having a brainwave, nearly emptied her bank account at the ATM outside. For the first time, Kim genuinely appreciated having a job. _I just hope I can find another where I'm going, _she thought. To kill a little more time, she went up the road to a 7-11 and loaded up on snacks. An uncomfortable but uneventful rest of the night was spent on a bench. By seven the next morning, Kim was on her way to Gotham._

_And the rest is history._

So thought Kim, coming back to her senses. With a silent curse, she realized she was on a street she didn't recognize at all. Neon lights assailed her eyes. Young women in minidresses and stillettos sauntered up and down the sidewalk. Music blared from the building right next to Kim, and across the street a heavyset bouncer tossed a drunken customer face-first into a puddle.

"I think it's time to get out of here," Kim muttered. She turned around and jumped. A man a good six inches taller than Kim was leering down at her. He wore a zipped-up leather jacket and black skinny jeans. It was his face that scared her: it was brightly painted like a skull. She involuntarily took a step back but bumped into something. A pair of arms pushed her up again. Whirling around, Kim saw it was another guy, dressed similarly to the first. Several snickers rang out as a whole gang of them formed a circle around their trembling prey.

"You're not going anywhere, sweetheart," the first guy, the leader, promised in a gilded voice, cloying but menacing, as he moved towards her.

...

Thanks for reading; reviews are rewarded with cupcakes! :D Chapter 2 is on the way!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Edward Scissorhands or Batman Forever.

...

Chapter 2

The Batmobile hit a bump, becoming airborne for a split-second. Dick Grayson, the driver, whooped and sped up. Barely half an hour ago, he had stumbled upon Bruce Waynes' - Gotham's most beloved billionaire and Dick's temporary guardian - deepest, darkest secret. Literally. All he did was crash down a flight of stairs concealed in the "silver closet" into the Batcave. He was greeted by an annoying refrain of "INTRUDER ALERT!" and the Holy Grail of fast cars: the Batmobile. How could he resist taking it out for a spin?

_Old Wayne is such a stiff! _He thought incredulously. _Who would've thought he could be Batman?_

Overriding his disbelief, Dick felt almost normal again. The murder of his family by Two-Face had torn his world apart. Grief, hatred, and the unquenchable thirst for revenge now reigned where love and happiness once resided. Driving fast, whether it be car or motorcycle, was the only thing that kept him from going completely insane. The speed and danger let him forget about the pain for a while, though his family always lingered in the back of his mind. They were gone, but he would never lose them.

With a slight surprise and a smirk, Dick found himself in what the more delicate Gothamites call "the red light district." _That's not entirely true, _he joked to himself, _not even half of these lights are red. _He had never been here before, but it was immistakable from the way the women paraded the sidewalks. Feeling mischevious, Dick pulled up to the curb, hearing the impressed hookers swarming around the car. He answered the knocks on the roof of the car by opening it. Drawing the tension out a little bit, he slowly stood up, the very picture of cockiness.

"That's not Batman!" One of them exclaimed, sounding disappointed.

"What're you talkin' about?" Dick swung his neck around to the right to face her. He rested his elbows on the back of the cars' opening. He leaned back on them, making his smile as charming as possible.

"That's Batboy!" The girl next to the first trilled. The whole harem collapsed into hysterics.

Dick opened his mouth to reply, but a scream interrupted him. His head snapped forward to the source down the block. A blonde-haired girl in jeans and a matching jacket sprinted towards the false safety of an alley. Chasing her was a gang of leather-clad, long-haired men. _Uh-oh._

Dick threw himself back into the drivers' seat and stepped on the pedal.

...

=0 Does anyone else smell a big fight scene? lol. Read, review, and stay tuned for Chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Edward Scissorhands, or Batman Forever.

I wrote pretty much all of this yesterday O.O I surprised myself, haha. Sorry if it's kinda bad/weird, but this was typed at 2-ish in the morning and I didn't feel like editing it any further. Hooray for insomnia for stupid reasons :D Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

Kim twisted and turned, desperate to escape the gang that encircled her. For every move she made, all of them countered it, jeering and laughing. Though they groped at her, she didn't raise her arms to defend herself. _It'll only get worse if I provoke them_, she thought.

Suddenly, a hand clapped over her mouth. Glancing up, Kim saw the leaders' face turned away from her, back up the block. "Children, it's Batman," he said, sounding surprised and scared. The rest of them turned to look too, their faces ranging from apprehension to outright fear. They had good reason to be, if half of what Kim heard about Batman was true. He only came out at night to terrorize Gothams' criminals. That was the only thing people seemed to agree on. Arguments constantly arose over whether or not he could fly, or if he was even human.

After that thought, another hit her, _Help._ Whoever or whatever Batman was, he could scare these punks, maybe rescue her. Kim wriggled out of the leaders' grasp and screamed as she took off running. The gang inevitably chased her, whooping with their demented delight. Over the noise they made, Kim heard the revving of an engine, the squealing of tires. Kim hoped he wouldn't stop to find a parking spot as she plunged down an alley.

...

Dick threw the Batmobile in park at the mouth of the alley. He leaped out of the car, hoped no one would steal it, and dove into the alley after the noisy gang. He emerged in a space bigger than most alleys; it looked like a neon-painted cavern. The paint glowed in the dark, lending an unreal appearance to the place. The makeup the gang wore was also glow in the dark, transforming them from scary to something alien. The girls' face was starkly plain and petrefied against the chaotic surroundings.

"Hey," Dick yelled, "Hey, let her go!"

The speed at which the mass of miscreants quieted was somewhat disconcerting. They turned as one to stare at him, including the girl. Over her fear, he saw relief and surprise flash across her face. The guy next to her - obviously the leader, as his makeup and clothes were the most elaborate - drew himself up to his full, intimidating height. Glaring down at Dick, he demanded, "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Batman," Dick answered without missing a beat. Laughter erupted from the group. "Hey, so I forgot my suit, alright?" He shouted defensively.

The leader clapped his hands twice, deliberate and slow. Five of the men separated from the main body, weilding neon nightsticks. Dick automatically lowered himself into a ready position, quickly analyzing potential weaknesses. He took a deep breath and looked up. No longer were any gangbangers standing in front of him, but an army of Two-Faces. The old anger welled up inside him. Dicks' lips formed an involuntary silent snarl as his enemies rushed him.

...

Because of the guys holding her back, Kim could only watch as "Batman" fended off the gang. She watched, fascinated, as he whirled in a flurry of kicks and punches. The few glimpses she got of his face intrigued her even more. His mouth seemed locked in a growl, as if he was a fighting pitbull. There was a fire in his eyes that struck a familiar chord with her: desperation, grief, and helplessness churned all into fury. _What is he fighting for?_ Kim longed to know what horrors he had suffered, if only to have someone to talk to. Someone to relate with her suffering on a profound level.

The men who had first stood against "Batman" had fallen. Their leader stepped forward, breathing heavily like an angry bull. Though he was bigger and visibly more muscular, "Batman" did not back down. He threw himself at his new adversary with the same intensity as before.

Watching him, Kim noted a difference between herself and this man, _He will not give up. Maybe never._ This guy, a nobody for all Kim knew, was posing as Gothams' terrifyingly superhuman creature of the night. He probably knew full well the risks involved. Yet here he was, faced with a challenge that he might not evercome, wrestling wildly with it to subdue it. What had Kim done? Run away.

All of a sudden, Kim felt ashamed of herself. Mom had always said, "The worst way to deal with a problem is to run away from it." She was right, Kim had acted childishly. Her mess had only followed her to Gotham, and no doubt there would be an even bigger mess to clean up when she got back home.

A yelp and a thud brought Kim back to her senses. The gang leader laid eagle-spread on the ground, her Batman a few feet away. The pressure on Kims' arms lifted as her two captors rushed to help up their superior. Before Kim could register that she was free, her Batman ran to her and grabbed her wrist.

"Come on, run!" He dragged her towards him, intending to pull her past him so she could escape. She admired his courage and found herself reluctant to leave him.

"Wait!" Kim felt some of her old mischeif return, "Doesn't Batman ever kiss the girl?"

His eyes widened in surprise at her forwardness. He searched her face, but Kim never found out what he was looking for. The hand clutching her wrist dropped it to wrap around her waist. Kim strained her neck upward to meet his lips as he pulled her close. There was a special sense of kinship in that kiss that Kim never forgot. She sensed the same things that were gone but never lost within him. In that moment, she knew that this man, her Batman, would be stored in that part of her memory forever.

They broke apart. One last second was spent searching each others' souls before he pushed her towards the mouth of the alley, "Go!"

"Thanks," She shouted back as she ran, "You saved my life!"

Kim swore forever after that she heard him say, "I could definitely get into the superhero gig." She grinned and sped up. She would return home with her head held high. She would bury the past and move on with her life. No one was going to stop her from having fun.

...

Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated! :D


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